Dark Stranger
by twinz1976
Summary: "Damon" Elena said softly, placing her hand on his arm. "You don't need to kill her when you're done with her." (from chapter 10). Set during season 2 and continuing into season 3 by the end, Damon hasn't yet let his guard down but then he meets Marley. AU feat Damon, Marley, Stelena
1. The middle of nowhere

**This is how I see Damon, before he really admitted how he felt about Elena. Marley is his distraction because Stefan and Elena are still very much together. And Marley is us, all the ladies out there who would love some time with Damon! What is it about the bad boys huh? ****I know nothing about cars so all car related and grammar errors are all my own. As to VD itself, I own nothing! **

**Anyway, thanks for reading :)**

**Chapter 1 – The Middle of Nowhere**

Marley gave a huge sigh and banged her head repeatedly against the steering wheel. "I knew I should've just stayed home tonight" she thought to herself as she hopped out of the car and opened the bonnet, pretending for a moment she knew something about car repairs. The knocking noise in her car had been happening for months, she'd been sure it would somehow just vanish over time. Apparently that wasn't the case. Twiddling a few knobs and knocking on a couple of pipes, Marley sighed again and leaned against the car checking her watch. 8.45pm. She'd told Emma that she'd be there by 8pm and even though Emma knew she was always late, she really should call to let her know it didn't look like she'd make it at all tonight.

She pulled out her cell and rolled her eyes when she saw the No Signal message written across the front. The GPS had sent her on some crazy diversion when she came to a bunch of roadworks, she had no idea where she was and no cell to call for help."Excellent, this night is shaping up to be awesome" she groaned to herself, kicking the tyre nearest to her and then wincing as her toes protested inside her heels.

The night was starting to encroach on the sky, darkening behind the trees in the distance and a breeze swirled her hair lightly around her face. Folding her arms across her chest, she glared left and right, looking to see what was around. She could see lights in the distance, too far to walk in heels though but it was the only option unless she wanted to sit here all night as behind her the other way was all darkness.

Ducking back inside the car, Marley found a discarded hairtie in the glovebox and tied her hair back off her face. Rumaging on the floor of the back of the car, she looked for an old pair of trainers that she thought were buried there somewhere. Pulling them out from under a couple of takeaway wrappers, she stuck her legs out the door and leaned over to remove her heels and stick on the sneakers. Then she gasped in surprise and stood up, bumping her head on the edge of the doorframe as she did.

A man was standing a little way in front of her, face hidden in the shadows by the purple sky. He stepped forward and she sucked her breath in even more when she saw him clearly. Dressed in a tight fitting casual jacket and dark top, there was no hiding the muscles underneath the clothes. Dark, slightly messy hair drew her attention before she noticed the defined cheek bones which led to lips curled into a confident, lazy smile. He was beautiful.

Ice blue eyes locked with hers when she managed to draw her eyes away from his mouth and her heart gave a quick flutter of fear. "Where had he come from, why didn't I hear him?" she wondered, heartbeat escalating as she realised the danger of her situation. Noone knew where she was or what had happened to her, she had no way of letting them know and now a stranger was standing metres from her with a look on his face that sent her adrenaline racing.

"It looks like you could use a hand" he said softly, standing motionless and staring at her.

Gulping and fighting the urge to run she spoke quickly "Car people coming to help me, I mean, repair men and they're only round the corner, I just called them" she indicated, lifting the cellphone slightly and hoping her breath wouldn't become trapped inside her body. He raised his eyebrows at this and cocked his head to the side, his smile increasing but not making it all the way to his eyes. Slowly reaching behind her to the open door, she assessed how long it would take to jump back into the car and lock the doors. "Probably longer than it would take for him to reach me" she thought, fear gripping her body and locking her to the spot.

"I'll have a look while you wait in case it's something simple" he said, walking slowly forward and causing her heart to pound faster. "Why don't you wait in the car out of the cold?" he finished with a smirk and he reached for the door, opening it fully so she could step quickly inside. As he closed it behind her he added "and you might want to do something about your head, it's bleeding where you banged it."

Quickly, she touched the lock on her door and listened as all the doors locked behind her. Was she mistaken or did she hear a soft chuckle as he strode around to the front of the car and dissapeared behind the raised bonnet?

Marley felt her chest rise and fall, her breathing still not back to normal even though she was locked inside the car.

She reached up and touched the side of her head which she hadn't even noticed was throbbing a little. Her fingers came away slightly damp from the blood that was attempting to dry there. It was just a small wound, how did he even know it was there? And what was he doing here in the first place, out in the middle of almost nowhere? Marley chewed on her lip in confusion as she listened to the small bangs and thuds coming from the front of the car. Looking down at her hands, she noticed they were trembling slightly and she tightened them into fists, pressing them against her thighs.

A knock at her window made her look up with a gasp. He stood there with that smirk on his face again. "It should be working now, the cap had come off the alternator and was banging around in there. Easily fixed. You should come take a look so if it happens again you can fix it yourself, it's not that difficult to do."

"No, that's ok, I appreciate that but I'll just be on my way now" she stuttered out. Years of parental lectures on manners made her hastily add "oh and thank you."

He looked directly into her eyes and said again "I want you to come take a look, get out of the car and come see."

As if in a trance, Marley opened the door and followed him to the still open bonnet, heart escalating as she did. Standing slightly behind him, she watched as he leaned into the bonnet to show her the loose cap. His jacket and top rode up a little, showing the skin of his lower back above his jeans. And the jeans themselves were pulled deliciously tight around his butt. He really was gorgeous but her heart was racing in fear not desire.

"I'm still afraid of him, why am I standing this close?" she wondered even as she traced his body with her eyes.

Turning and catching her in the act of looking at him, he spoke again. "You really shouldn't be out here on your own you know" he said, leaning back on the car.

"Wasn't my choice and anyway, what are you doing out here then?" she asked, lips still trembling slightly in fear.

"I was out taking a walk, looking for some...refreshments" he finished with a grin. "Good thing I wasn't very thirsty when I met you."

"What does that mean" wondered Marley "and why am I still standing here when my heart is still beating way too fast and I am scared to be near him?"

He stepped close so they were only inches apart. Reaching towards her hair and sending her body into full panic mode, he touched near where she had hit it before pulling his fingers back and rubbing them lightly together underneath his nose.

"Yes, a good thing I'm not thirsty" he repeated seemingly lost in thought."Oh and you can go now, go have fun" he said, almost as an after thought, looking directly into her eyes again and instantly she took two steps back and round towards her car door. As she fumbled for the handle, he spoke again.

"and when I see you next, I will remember that you owe me a favour".

As she closed and locked her doors, turning the key quickly in the ignition, he stood near the car door, arms crossed against his chest. The engine leaped into action and she sped quickly forward, glancing to the side as she did. That strange smile was still fixed firmly to his lips.

**Thanks for reading chapter one. I have a few chapters written of this and look forward to sharing them with you, if there are reviews to show you want more. hint hint :P**


	2. The party

**Chapter 2 – The Party**

As if on autopilot, Marley arrived at Emma's house. She didn't remember how she even got there, the last thing she remembered before pulling into her driveway was the crooked smile on his lips. The whole drive she had flashes of him and what had happened in her head; getting out of the car as if her legs were propelling her forward when she didn't want to, the panic she felt being near him, the way his clothes fitted around his body, his chiselled face. And now, for some reason, she really needed to enjoy herself while she was out with Emma. Strange when she hadn't been that excited to go to the party in the first place.

Looking at her watch she saw that it was 9.45pm. "Had it really only been an hour since she had looked at her watch while deciding what to do next?" she wondered.

Walking quickly up to the front door, it was swung open before she even had a chance to knock, Em not looking at all happy.

"Finally Marley" Emma said grumpily, hands perched on her hips. "This is late even for you!" Spinning on her heels, Emma stalked into the lounge, Marley walking slowly behind. "Where were you?"

"Sorry Em, the car broke down, my cellphone didn't work" Marley answered. "and then this guy appeared out of nowhere, and fixed the car for me. I would've called to let you know if I had any coverage but once the car was fixed I was just in a hurry to get out of there. The whole thing was very bizarre."

"Well, I'm glad you got here now, I told Jack I'd be there tonight and I don't want to miss him." Jack was the latest in a long list of guys Emma was interested in. Marley had guessed it was her mission tonight to make sure he noticed her. The dress Em was wearing was cut just low enough to show off her cleavage without being called slutty and the heels she had on were definitely not for the faint hearted. They made her legs look miles long, Jack didn't really stand a chance! Swinging her long ebony hair around her shoulders, she turned back to face me. "Are you going to go finish getting ready so we can go to Dave's party?"

"What do you mean? I got ready before I left" Marley replied, surprised.

"Go take a look in the mirror my friend, you look like you've seen a ghost or something." Emma said, applying another coat of mascara while I went into the bathroom to look in the mirror.

She was right, the face looking back at Marley was pale and drawn. Her long blonde hair which had been sitting flat against her back an hour ago was now all over the place, she looked like she'd been running somewhere. "Or from someone" Marley thought with a shudder.

Grabbing her bag, she tidied her hair and makeup then headed back out to Emma. "Right, lets go conquer Jack" she said with a wry smile and Emma smiled a tight smile back. "Obviously not quite forgiven my lateness yet" she thought as she climbed into the car next to Emma and they drove away.

2 hours later though, it was a different story. Emma had been very happy to see that Jack was indeed at the party when they got there and that he had come straight over when they walked into the room. With a few drinks in her and lots of kisses in the corner under her belt, Emma was contentedly smiling around the room like the cat that got the cream, while a lot of her body was draped over various parts of Jack.

It was a different story with Marley. Holding a drink in one hand and resisting the urge to look at her watch again, she tried hard not to think of her cosy bed and the book she'd rather be curled up reading. Oh how old that made her feel to even think it, the 22yo going on 40! She knew quite a few people at the party but she just wasn't in the mood to hang out or to field off pick up lines. All night she'd had a very unsettled feeling and the only thing she could think about was the strange encounter on the side of the road.

Sighing, she finally gave in and looked at her watch. 11.30pm, she'd wait until midnight and then let Em's know she was heading home. Turning to put her drink on the cabinet next to her, she paused with her glass in the air, frozen to the spot. Across the room watching her with his lip curled crookedly into a smile was the man. Her heart started beating fast and her breathing increased, making her feel like she was going to hyperventilate. He raised his glass to her in a salute before draining it and putting the glass down. Slowly, he started heading towards her.

Stomach churning, Marley turned fast, needing to get out. She walked quickly, glancing behind to see that he was following her in the distance. She almost ran out of the living room and into the hallway, up the stairs, past couples happily smiling and dancing to the music, into Dave's darkened office at the top of the stairs where she quickly closed the door and leaned back heavily on the back of it, attempting to settle her panic down. "What is going on?" She asked herself. "Why is he here?!"

"And we meet again" came a voice near the back of the room. Gasping and confused, Marley reached for the doorknob, preparing to take flight again. "I wouldn't do that" said his voice again, this time just a whisper but so close she could feel his breath warm against her ear, his hand pressed against hers on the knob, stopping her from turning it.

"Why are you following me, what do you want?" Marley gasped out. "I don't understand what is going on."

"It's very simple, I did something for you and I said you owed me a favour, I'm here to collect."

"I don't know wh..wh...what I can do for you" she stammered out.

"Well, to start with, I need to see you" and reaching over he flicked on the light, causing Marley to blink and then breathe quickly when she could see just how close he was standing to her.

"And next" he continued, locking her eyes to his "I need you to stop fearing me."

And with that, Marley felt her heart return steadily to normal and the eyes locked with hers turned from ice cold blue into a warm ocean shade that drew Marley quickly into it's depths.

"That's better" he continued. "Now, I think it best we introduce ourselves properly. I am Damon, and you are...?"

"Marley" she replied, cheeks flushing warmly from breathing the same air as such a gorgeous guy.

"Mmmm yes, that adds a little colour to your face" he said, reaching out to touch her cheek. "And now to the favour. I am feeling a little thirsty so I need your help."

As he said this, Damon's face seemed to crack slightly and then quickly settled back to normal. Feeling confused however quite happy to stay tucked up close to Damon, Marley sideled a little closer causing Damon to raise an eyebrow and for a quick smile to flash across his lips and eyes. "And how can I help with that?" she asked, turning her head to one side slightly and coyly lowering her eyelashes.

Damon reached down and took her arm, pulling her even closer as he did. Their bodies were pressed almost against each other, there was barely an inch between them and Marley wasn't surprised to feel her body starting to respond to the closeness.

"I just need your arm" Damon said slowly locking eyes with her for a moment and then softly he placed his lips to her wrist, kissing it a few times before the kiss seemed to grow intense and then she gave a gasp of pain, pulling back slightly.

He held tight and she felt his teeth deep under her skin, drawing liquid from her veins. The initial pain seemed to subside and she stopped resisting, her breathing quickening. Damon had told her not to fear and although she was confused, it felt intimate and not completely unpleasant. In fact she was drawn into whatever was happening.

He was done quickly, pulling his head away and wiping the corner of his mouth with his thumb. As he did so his eyes, which had seemed to pool slightly with blood, and his extended teeth began to dissapear. Marley looked down at her wrist, torn open a little with a distinct bite mark encircling the ripped opening. She was still puzzled, her head was spinning slightly and she began to wonder if she had more to drink than she remembered. "What a strange night" she thought disjointedly as she watched Damon stroke the wrist with his fingers.

"Normally the wrist isn't enough" he said dropping her arm back to her side. "I'm usually not satisfied until I have had the throat in my teeth but I plan on waiting for that."

They were still standing close enough for her to smell him and closing her eyes, she couldn't help leaning in slightly. She could smell blood, but something more, some pheremone that caused her own blood to stir. Opening her eyes she saw he wore an amused smile but she didn't care what he was thinking. She was exhilirated, confused and intoxicated by him.

"What do you mean about waiting for my throat and why did you do that to my wrist?" she asked.

"All in good time" he replied, leaning in. His lips hovered just above hers and she was sure he was going to kiss her. Closing her eyes, she waited to feel his lips touch hers, heart speeding up slightly. But all she felt was a cool breeze flicking past her and when she opened her eyes, he was gone.

**Thanks for reading and for my review. Let me know what you think, I'll post faster with more reviews :)**

**By the way, who else is hanging out for season 4, episode 19?! Too long to wait!**


	3. Orange juice or coffee?

**Chapter 3 – Orange Juice or Coffee?**

The next morning Marley lay in bed when she woke, playing out the strange night in her head. Her hand brushed lightly back and forth across her bandaged wrist, the dull ache had bothered her earlier but it was only slight background pain now.

She thought back to the moment she opened her eyes and realised Damon had gone. Marley had stood in the office for a few minutes, trying to work out what was happening before she headed downstairs, found Emma entwined with Jack, let her know she was heading home and then went out into the night. She kept expecting Damon to appear from out of nowhere again on her trip home but he hadn't. She was strangely dissapointed, his words seemed to point to the fact he was going to turn up again soon but when?

Crawling into bed at a little after 1am, she had found sleep came surprisingly quickly but as she nodded off, all her thoughts were tumbled up in confusion and questions. He left her heart racing from how good looking he was, there were some seriously good genes going on there. She didn't fear the strange things that happened around her when he was there. That in itself was bizarre, shouldn't she be afraid of someone who drank from her arm? Not to mention the way his eyes seemed to pierce right into her soul. Come to think of it, she didn't have a problem with the eyes. They seemed to hold an ocean in their depths and whether the water was chilly or warm, she wanted to wade into them and lose herself.

Shaking her head to clear her strange thoughts, Marley climbed out of bed, stretching as she did. "Walking past a mirror first thing in the morning is not always a good thing" she voiced outloud as she caught a glimpse of her hair and face. She looked like she hadn't slept at all, bags under her eyes. Her hair was sticking up on all angles and Marley attempted to tame it with her fingers while she walked, looking up only as she entered the kitchen.

"Orange juice or coffee?" Damon asked, leaning back on the counter and looking Marley up and down from head to toe. His tongue darted out quickly to touch his top lip and then his mouth curled into a smile.

Instantly aware that the tank top and boxers she had worn to bed were not covering much, Marley felt her hands fly to her face as her cheeks reddened a little. She walked round the counter to the other side to put distance between them and to hide her PJ's from his stares. He looked incredible, his clothes hugging his body, his jacket hanging open to reveal the form of him underneath. The blue of his eyes was intensified by the tone of his skin, his face seemed smooth (she wanted to touch and find out) and his lips were a shade of red darker than the normal pink. If she wasn't in such a state of confusion, she'd be very happy to be up close and personal with him.

Damon's smile increased as she looked at him, almost as if he knew what she was thinking and Marley finally snapped.

"Ok, so I'm going to pretend for a minute that it's not totally weird that you're in my kitchen, leaning against my counter and offering me an orange juice when I never invited you here. I'm also going to pretend that I have a clue what is going on with us and jump straight to saying coffee please and toasted muffins with lots of butter."

Pulling up a barstool, Marley sat down, crossed her arms and waited.

His eyebrows shot up, the smile dropped for a second before the grin reappeared. "Actually Marley, I think you'll find you were going to make breakfast for me."

"Ah, no, I think you're wrong about that" she replied, arms still crossed and meeting his stare with what she hoped was a strong and convincing one back.

"Oh, let me try that again" he said leaning across the counter towards her "I will have the same as you are having for breakfast" he said, his eyes seeming to lock her into her seat for a moment.

"Sure" she replied and before she even realised she was doing it, they had swapped places and Damon was resting casually on the stool, tilting his head as he watched her rummage in the fridge for the milk.

"I do like this" Damon said while she buttered the muffins. "It feels very domestic".

"To be honest Damon, it feels very weird. I'm still not sure what is going on here and I want you to tell me" Marley replied, sliding his coffee and muffins across the counter.

"Questions, questions, lets just roll with whatever happens" he said.

"No, actually I want a few answers" she replied, biting into a muffin and crossing her arms across her chest as she chewed.

Damon sighed and then after a moment he asked "what were you wanting to know?"

"Well, to start with, how did you get in here? And how long were you waiting?"

"Your lovely flatmate invited me in when I told her I was here to see you. And after I had been up to see that you were asleep, I walked around looking at your things for another half hour before you floated down the stairs. You have interesting taste in books."

Coffee spluttered out of Marley's mouth. "You came into my room? And went through my stuff?" Marley was furious at the idea someone had watched her sleep and was touching her things. But she was also disturbed by the idea of Damon being that close to her and not knowing, she felt vulnerable but strangely still not afraid.

"Yes yes, I was bored, I entertained myself, not a big deal." Damon replied, throwing back the coffee and munching his breakfast while watching Marley's movements. "I could've woken you I suppose but it was sort of entertaining to watch you sleep. You move around and talk a lot, it made me... interested in you more. Actually, you're a pretty heavy sleeper, I sat on the bed for a while and you didn't notice". He raised his eyebrow and smirked at that before taking another bite of his muffin.

Marley flushed, wondering what she had been saying in her sleep and the red crept further across her face at the thought of Damon being on her bed, almost in her bed. She tried not to let her mind wander down that track and got back to the questions at hand.

"So Casey let you in..."

"Invited me in" he interupted.

Marley sighed, rolling her eyes. "Ok, so Casey invited you in, you watched me sleep and looked at my stuff. I'm not sure I understand any of this. It's not normal for a guy you meet on the side of the road to help you fix your car, then to run into them again the same night where he proceeds to drink blood from your arm before turning up in your kitchen the next morning. Not to mention the fact I didn't even tell you where I live."

"I suppose it's not normal when you put it like that" Damon replied, leaning back in his chair, hands behind his head.

"And?" Marley said angrily feeling the desire to stamp her feet, the frustration building.

"And you intrigue me. I don't know why, you humans are normally so mundane, I sense a spark of something vaguely interesting in you. As to knowing where you live, I followed you home last night so that was easy."

"You followed me home?" Marley exploded. "I've had enough of this Damon, by now any sane person would've called the police to report a stalker. I'm tempted to do that right now but I'm not afraid of you because you told me not to be even though I feel like I should be. I don't understand that at all."

"Yes, I suppose that can be hard to understand" he said, standing up and walking round to her side of the counter. "And don't call the police, where would the fun in that be." he finished softly, standing very close to her.

"Damon, why did you drink blood from my wrist? I want to know what is going on." Marley said, heart beating quickly from standing so close to him.

"Ssshhh, no more questions" he replied quietly, putting a finger to her lips and moving it slowly down. The touch of his skin on her face made Marley take a quick breath in. He traced the finger slowly along her jaw before cupping her cheek in his hand. Locking eyes with her for a moment, Damon leaned in and Marley felt herself drawn towards him, breathing the same air, noticing the colour of his skin and the texture of his lips. Then they brushed against hers and she was lost. As his lips slid across hers, Marley felt her body respond and pressed in close as Damon grabbed her closer to him, almost hurting her. The kiss intensified and Marley felt her head spinning as he pressed her hard against the kitchen counter.

Damon broke away and stepped back, eyes blazing as if he was angry, breathing increased. His face seemed to crack slightly as he looked down, hands on hips, before looking up again with something burning in his eyes. "Yes, intriguing" he said, still slightly out of breath. "You're quite the passionate wee thing, aren't you?" he asked, looking her up and down again. This time Marley didn't shrink from his gaze but met it, putting her hands on her hips to mirror his.

They looked at each other for a moment, almost as if sizing up an opponent. Then Damon strode towards her.

"Come meet my brother." Damon said, taking her hand and leading her to the bedroom door. "Find something less... delicious to wear and we will go back to my place."

There didnt seem to be a question there, he was telling her what to do but Marley didn't even mind. The taste of his kiss was still on her lips and she wanted more. Leaving Damon leaning on the wall outside her bedroom, Marley went in and closed the door behind her. Looking in the mirror again, this time the face was different. No sign of the tired face she had seen when getting up this morning. The face in the mirror had colour and a spark of something in her eyes.

Turning away, she grabbed some clothes out of the drawer, ran a hand through her hair and thought for a moment. "Do I have time for a shower?" she called through the closed door.

"Oh, yes, we do, that sounds... perfect." he called through the door. "But perhaps, I will wait in the lounge while you... clean up." he finished with a throaty chuckle. "Lock your bathroom door though, you never know who might turn up."

The idea of sharing a shower with Damon held more than a little appeal and Marley went happily off to the ensuite, locking the door behind her. "His brother" she thought as she turned on the water. "I wonder what he's like?"


	4. Introductions

**Chapter 4 - Introductions**

"I'm home brother" Damon called, opening the door to the ridiculously huge mansion Damon had just pulled his blue Camaro up to.

Tugging Marley by the hand, he led her into the hallway and towards the library. Damon smirked as Marley turned around in a slow circle, mouth opened. The place was amazing. Books lined the walls, antique furniture dotted the room, promising little places to snuggle up and read for hours. Marley was in book heaven.

Amused, Damon indicated an invitation to the books and she walked over, gently stroking the spines of what were probably first edition classics. Damon walked over to a table and poured himself a drink just as another man walked into the room.

"What's up Damon, you don't normally announce yourself when you arrive home" he said, sounding annoyed.

Marley turned at the sound of his voice and her eyes grew wide. "This family has amazing genes" she thought to herself, taking in the James Dean vibe he had going on and the burning eyes that set off his good looks.

He sighed when he noticed her and strode to Damon, hands on hips as he came to stand in front of him.

"Why have you bought her here Damon? Isn't it enough to play with them outside of our home without bringing them here too? I have Elena upstairs and we all know how she feels about your... extra curricular activities. She's barely holding it together now she knows about Katherine, you need to stop bringing them home."

"Oh lighten up Stefan" Damon replied, downing the amber liquid in his glass. "I was just showing Marley where we live and I wanted to introduce her to my little brother. If you're going to be a buzz kill, we'll take it upstairs."

Stefan stepped sideways to block Damon as he moved towards Marley.

"Remember they're people Damon" he growled through gritted teeth.

"I don't need reminding Stefan, I can smell the humanity dripping off her skin, delicious isn't it?" he asked. "Care to join us for a drop of earths finest liquid, I know you want to."

Stefan narrowed his eyes and stepped up inches from Damon's face. "Don't do anything stupid, I mean it Damon."

Damon went still and his eyes turned hard. "Don't threaten me Stefan, we both know I am stronger than you and I am well aware Elena is your weakness, don't make me use that information. I will do as I please. Now step aside, Marley and I are going to my room."

Taking her by the hand, Damon led her out of the room and towards a staircase. Marley felt completely bewildered by the exchange in the library, dragging her feet slightly as she tried to make sense of it all.

"Ah Damon", she started as she followed him slowly up the stairs "so that was your brother? The one you wanted me to meet? Who seemed to not be so keen on meeting me?"

"Ignore Stefan. He is an ass. And I don't want to talk about him anymore."

Stepping onto the second floor they almost ran into a gorgeous brunette with long legs and a surprised look on her face. "Damon?" she asked.

"Elena, Marley, Marley, Elena" he said by way of introduction as they walked passed her and kept on going. "Stefan is downstairs, pouting in the library if you're looking for him" Damon called back as they walked away. Marley looked back over her shoulder to see Elena standing watching them go with a concerned look on her face.

Moments later, Damon led her into a gorgeous bedroom dominated by heavy wooden furniture, a large bed and an old fashioned, luxurious bath tub.

"My humble abode" Damon grinned, closing the door behind them. Sauntering over to the bed and kicking his shoes off, he lay down with his hands behind his head, a smirk on his lips. There he proceeded to quietly watch Marley taking in his room, a fact she had noticed but was choosing to ignore. She was also ignoring the eye candy picture he was making with his black jeans and tight black top that had risen up slightly to reveal a glimpse of his skin. And she was ignoring the feeling in the pit of her stomach that was not altogether unpleasant. She was finding the ignoring, rather hard to do.

Damon laughed quietly to himself and patted the bed next to him. "Why don't you come over here next to me?" he asked.

"No, I'm fine over here" she replied, awkwardly leaning on the wall and looking at the ceiling, the walls, the books next to his bed but not directly at the bed or Damon.

"Oh but I know you want to" he replied, almost as if he could read her thoughts.

"Actually, maybe I should head back to my place" she answered, pushing away from the wall and turning towards the door.

Instantly, Damon was standing before her, his face inches from hers, his lips hovering tantalisingly close. "I don't usually have to compel women to stay with me, they fall over themselves to come home with me" he whispered arrogantly. Sighing he continued "You would insist on being one of the few I must compel, and trust me, you won't be complaining shortly" and looking into her eyes he spoke. "Marley, take off your shoes and get to bed."

Walking backwards, Marley felt the sudden (and not unpleasant) need to get over to the bed, stepping out of her shoes as Damon stalked slowly towards her. All of a sudden he pounced and deftly picking her up, he had her on the bed before she had time to gasp. Landing with a muted thump on her back, she let out the breath she had been holding and an unexpected giggle escaped her lips.

"See, you can have a good time with me" he said, appearing above her and looking down into her eyes. And then his lips grabbed hers, his body pressed against her frame, his arm snaking under her back to pull her even closer. All her senses became heightened as she became lost in the kiss, and the feeling of his hands beginning to explore her body. His kiss wasn't gentle, Damon knew what he wanted but his roughness wasn't an attempt to hurt her, quite the opposite. He pulled away for a moment, looking back down at her with a creased forehead and slight frown. "I compelled you to get to bed, I didn't tell you what to do once you were here."

Confused, Marley frowned and nodded. "Well, I think it's fairly obvious what we can do now I am here. You were kissing me, I was liking it, I'm assuming that since we are both adults, we can work out what happens next as we go along" she finished, stroking her fingertip along his jaw to his lips.

"Well, just as long as we're both in agreement" he murmered, quickly rolling Marley over so she was looking down at him. Then pulling her face to his, he continued his explorations until Marley could no longer think of anything other than the feeling of his breath against her stomach, his hands on her thigh and as her eyes rolled back in her head, only his name, Damon!

**_I had fun writing that one, hope you enjoyed reading it :) Next chapter in Damon's POV_**


	5. Judgey Little Eyes

**Thanks for reading and for the follows etc... :)**

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**Chapter 5 – Judgey little eyes**

Damon's POV

Damon pulled himself up onto his elbows and looked down at her sleeping form. The covers were strewn all over the place and he caught a delicious glimpse of the curve of her hip before he blinked and shook his head to clear it. "She's just another girl" he said to himself as he climbed out of bed and crossed the room to his dresser. Grabbing the bottle of whisky off the top, he pulled up a chair and leaned back in it, gulping down a mouthful before taking another. His lips pulled back slightly as the burn hit his throat. But his gaze was drawn back to the bed.

Something didn't feel right. He'd had many women, many many women. And they were willing. At least the ones he could wait long enough for. The ones who didn't quite quench his thirst never made it to the bedroom. Instead they ended up in a ditch somewhere.

But this wasn't sitting right with him. Marley had certainly been enjoyable. The question then was what was different? He had compelled her a little but he hadn't forced her to stay with him. Or was he justifying himself? Did it even matter? She was just a human, disposable when he was done.

Glancing at her again, he stood up swiftly and strode from the room. He needed some blood or else he was going to lose it.

Entering the library, he swiftly poured himself another drink while he thought about where to get some fresh blood or whether he needed to use a blood bag. He heard the front door open, smelled the scent of her and gave a sigh before he heard her voice.

"Stefan?" Elena called walking up the hall way and into the room. "Oh, it's you" she said when she saw Damon.

"And hello again to you too Miss Cheerful. I think my darling little brother has popped out to look for some bunnies, no doubt he will be back when all the little furry critters in the forest band together against him or when he has had his fill" he smirked back at her.

"Hmm... you're in a mood, what's up Damon?" Elena asked, crossing her arms against her chest and leaning back against the desk.

"I'm just peachy thanks" he replied, gulping down some more amber liquid.

"Yes, I can see that. Do you still have company or has she gone?"

Damon turned to glare at her, his eyes holding hers in a steely grasp. She blinked back at him, not backing down. He sighed.

"She's upstairs" he replied, looking away, and he sat down heavily in the nearest chair.

Letting out her breath (did she think he had killed her?) she spoke again. "Damon, you haven't compelled her to stay there have you?"

He looked up quickly again, his forehead furrowed into a frown. "No! Of course not. My bed warmers stay there willingly" he said, meeting her eyes with a hint of suggestiveness.

Her cheeks flushed slightly but she held her ground. "I didn't say she was complaining about being there. But how did she end up there in the first place? Did you compel her to come home with you? Stefan doesn't think it's a good idea to have others around with Katherine on the loose."

"And Stefan clearly makes all the rules and the decisions around here right? I'm a big boy Elena, I can do what I want" but he didn't meet her eyes when he answered. He didn't like to admit it but her questions bothered him.

"Believe it or not Damon, I can tell when you have something you don't want to talk about. I've seen that enough times to know, you always seem to be hiding something and if it's more stuff about Katherine, I have to know." Elena said quietly.

Damon rolled the empty glass around in his hand for a moment before putting it down on the table next to him.

"Not everything is about you Elena, some of us have other things on our mind" he said with a tight smile.

She gave a small smile back. "We're friends now Damon, aren't we?" she asked. He stared back at her, unwilling to answer, waiting for her to continue. "I'm good at listening."

He stared down at the ground before looking up. "Humans don't always make sense to me."

"Are we talking in general or a specific human?" Elena asked.

Damon sighed, putting his feet up on another chair and tapping his fingertips against the table. "Marley. I didn't exactly compel her to sleep with me but I _did_ compel her. So it feels dirty. Which is strange, cos I normally like dirty" he grinned suggestively then the smile quickly vanished. This was too much heart to heart for his liking, especially when his heart no longer pumped blood but constantly craved it instead.

"That's called remorse Damon" Elena replied, raising her eyebrows and tossing her hair over her shoulder as she stood up from the desk. "You feel something for her. And if you like her even a little, you want it to be real. Whatever you have going on so far, maybe you regret compelling her, how can you be sure it's real?"

Damon frowned again and watched as she walked out the library door, taking her judgey little eyes with her. He felt titchy now and it was Elena's fault. This talk about remorse and reality. What was real was his need for some damn blood before he exploded.

Taking the steps quickly, he reached the fridge and grabbed out a blood bag, opening it swiftly without even waiting for it to reach room temperature. Drinkable but not exactly his favourite way of accessing blood. He thought of Marley asleep upstairs, her blood would be warm and he felt his face crack before quickly opening another bag and drinking it in. Leaning against the bench, he wiped away the blood from his lips, frowning as he did. He felt very unsatisfied. And now he was starting to feel annoyed and Damon and angry were never a good thing.

Elena's comments were playing over in her head and he didn't like the way they made him feel. Where did she get off telling him what to do? She may look exactly like Katherine but that's where it ended. Katherine was at least good for other things too. Pushing away from the bench he moved quickly to the stairs, taking them two at a time. Swinging open the door to his bedroom he strode across the room, ready to take the blood he needed fresh from it's source.

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_Ok, that's where I stop for now, shorter than my other chapters but beats a super long one and makes for faster updates, chapter 6 up tomorrow, thanks!_

_I appreciate the review I've had so far, encouragment is always good!_


	6. Confusion

**Chapter 6 - Confusion**

Damon's POV

Marley was still sleeping and her throat was in view, the blood pumping just below the surface of her creamy skin, steadily beating in time with her breathing. Moving her hair so her neck was fully exposed, he leaned in and breathed in her scent, preparing to satisfy his thirst. And then he stilled, inches from the warm, red source. He could smell her, every scent coming off her skin. No fear was permeating from her body as she relaxed in sleep. The vanilla lotion on her arms, the floral shampoo in her hair, the traces lingered. He could even smell himself, all the places he'd rubbed up against her body. And it bothered him.

What he wanted was blood, she was right there, why was he not biting into her neck? And all of a sudden he knew what it was. Damon had stopped thinking of her as just a girl or a human. She was Marley; a person with a sense of humour, a passionate, sexy nature and she challenged him. He liked being with her. He did want her blood but he didn't want to take it from her unwillingly. His jaw locked tight at the frustration of letting the feelings in. He kept them bottled up for a reason.

Damon pulled back off the bed and sat down heavily into the chair. "_This is annoying_" he thought to himself. "_I have a food source at my disposal and I don't want to use her. Hmmm..."_

She began to stir on the bed, almost as if she knew she was being watched. Stretching without her eyes fully open, she looked almost catlike and he remembered making her purr the night before. The memory brought a smile to his lips and as she opened her eyes fully, she met his smile with her own.

"Hello" she said softly, running her hands through her touselled hair. Looking down at the blankets mostly covering her body and then back at him again she blushed slightly, sending a flush of light pink into her cheeks.

"_That's not helping_" Damon thought as he stood up and turned away from her. When he glanced back, he saw the confusion on her face. "_I need to sort this out."_

Walking over and sitting down next to her he replied, his words coming out rougher than he'd meant. "Hey, want a drink? Some food?"

"I'm fine actually" she answered, gathering the sheets up around her body to cover herself fully. "Ummm... what time is it?"

"Almost lunchtime, you haven't been asleep that long." he replied, watching her lips as she moistened them after her sleep.

"_That's not helping either_" he thought. He made a quick decision and looked into her eyes.

"We came here to meet my brother, came upstairs and then fell asleep talking on my bed. Nothing else happened. You'll get dressed and once you leave this room you won't remember sleeping with me. Now you'll head home for lunch because you have somewhere you need to be" he said, breaking contact with her eyes.

Marley shook her head, coming around from his compulsion. "If it's almost lunchtime, I better head home. I have to be somewhere this afternoon and I've stayed too long."

"Sure sure" he replied, walking towards the door. "I'm heading downstairs to the library, meet me down there when you're ready, I'll call you a taxi. I'd drop you home but... I have somewhere to be as well" he finished. "_And that place is not near you! I'm not sure what is going on but I can't spend more time with you right now"_ he thought.

He left her to get dressed and headed downstairs, trying hard to get the images of her skin and the scent of her body from his mind. _"It was amazing but the next time she's in my bed, there will be no reason to doubt that she came without compulsion" _he thought as he walked through the library door.

Opening a bottle, Damon poured a drink then stalked around the room, unable to settle in one place. He felt on edge, alcohol wasn't fixing it and blood hadn't helped. This thirst he felt wasn't one he'd felt in a while and he didn't like what it was doing to him. Sighing, he pulled out his cellphone and dialed the taxi company.

When Marley appeared ten minutes later, she bounced into the room. "I don't know why I fell asleep. I still feel exhausted, must've been the late night last night." she announced.

Damon hid a smirk behind his glass. He had worked hard to get her to the point of exhaustion, he could've kept going but people tired so easily. What a pity she had to forget their time together. "I called the taxi, should only be another few minutes to wait" he answered, shaking those memories from his mind.

"Ok." She paused but when he just stood watching her, she continued. "Well, thanks for the tour. I guess I'll see you around?" she questioned.

"Yeah, sure" he replied. He could tell she was fishing for more but he couldn't give her anything else right now so he stood and drank in silence.

Her brow furrowed slightly but she didn't press him. "I'll wait out the front. See you later Damon." Marley said walking towards the front door. The words floated in the air between them, more like a question, would she see him again?

Damon had been raised a gentleman and back in the day that meant walking a lady home, or at the very least, out to the door and her waiting carriage. Instead he raised his glass in a farewell but stayed where he was, watching her walk away.

He couldn't do this right now, whatever "this" was. Instead he sat down with his glass and gazed out the window, playing with the heavy ring on his finger. "_What the hell am I doing_?" he asked himself.

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_OK so a long chapter split into chapters 5 and 6 is over, we will flick back to Marley's POV, let me know how it's going :)_


	7. While you were sleeping

**This chapter is a little longer than in the past but there was lots to sort out in their heads. Meet you on the other side :) Thanks for reading!**

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**Chapter 7 – While you were sleeping**

The taxi was waiting as Marley closed the front door of Damon's house and so she hopped straight in and settled for the short trip home. Leaning her head back against the seat, she closed her eyes and turned her thoughts inwards.

"_Could it really only be 16 hours since I met Damon?_" she wondered. A lot had been crammed into a short space of time and not all of it made sense. The feelings of fear when she had first met him on the darkened road, the way he turned up again at the party, the blood from her arm; none of that made sense.

It did however make sense that she would want to see him again. Behind her closed eyes she could see his eyes as they met hers in his room, the way his lips curled up into a half smile. She couldn't stop the smile that came onto her face as she thought of the kiss he'd taken in her kitchen that morning or the snippets of his body she had noticed as he moved. There was a gracefulness about his movements, mixed in with a level of arrogance that usually didn't appeal to her. But Damon definitely appealed to her.

Pulling up to her house, she paid the taxi driver and wandered into the kitchen, noticing the breakfast things had been left where she and Damon had been eating this morning. Pouring herself a drink, she mulled over the mornings events.

What a strange way things had ended. He had appeared out of nowhere in her kitchen, then he had been the one to initiate more before dragging her off to his home. His brother was a little intense but Damon wasn't exactly ordinary either. They had talked in his room, nodded off from their late night and then he hadn't encouraged her to call him or mentioned that he would call her as she was leaving. Come to think of it, they hadn't even exchanged numbers. He knew where she lived and she had a vague idea that she could find his house again but she wasn't sure.

As things stood, she may never hear from him again unless he got in touch with her. Marley didn't like the sound of that. Waiting for a guy to call her wasn't her style. Waiting for one to find the time to turn up on her doorstep was even worse. Just because he had appeared unannounced once didn't mean he would do it again.

She frowned. She had so many more questions than answers. Danger was written all over him but strangely, she wasn't afraid. "_What is up with all the drinking?" _She wondered. He always seemed to have a glass in his hand. Excellent, she was falling for an alcoholic. Even this morning, well before lunch, he had more than a few, yet he never appeared drunk.

Glancing over at the calander on the wall in the kitchen, she did a double take. She could have sworn she had something on this afternoon, that's what she had told Damon and why she had to leave so soon. Truth be told, she wasn't ready to walk away from his piercing blue eyes just yet. But nothing was written on the calander and she always wrote things down or she simply forgot what she was doing next. "_Maybe I wrote it on a slip of paper somewhere else, or the calander in my room?"_ she thought.

Going up the stairs into her bedroom, Marley looked at her bed and frowned again. After she had gone up to Damon's room, they have talked on the bed for a while but nothing seemed to have stuck in her head, what had they talked about? Surely she'd remember something, she hadn't been that tired. In fact, being with Damon made her feel alive so the last thing she should've felt was tired. Yet they had fallen asleep and she was still a little tired and achy now.

Things weren't adding up.

Marley spent the rest of the day doing chores. And then she painted her nails. Followed by reading for a while. At least she pretended to do all those things. She was actually unable to immerse herself in anything without her thoughts drifting back to Damon and it was starting to frustrate her. Not the thinking about Damon part. That made for very pleasant images. But the unsettled feeling that came with it wasn't doing much for her appetite.

As she climbed into bed that night she couldn't help but think back to 24 hours earlier. She had met Damon on the road but didn't know his name and now, he was absorbing all her thoughts. Marley had always prided herself on being a strong independent woman. She didn't fall for the bad boys or spend her days pining for anyone. This all encompassing thinking was not who she was.

Turning off the lights, she closed her eyes and determinded to wake up back to her old self in the morning. She wouldn't be seeing him again anyway, he'd given no indication that he would be searching her out. Damon would just be a distant memory before a few weeks were gone, maybe someone she thought she glanced while driving down the street. Sighing, she pulled the covers up to her ears and snuggled down. "_Why don't I like the sound of that?_ she thought as she drifted off.

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**Damon POV**

Today had not been good. Marley had walked away and he had gone out to feed. But nothing was satisfying him. He had returned to the house feeling full but unsatiated. As he'd bitten into the neck of a hiker he had found climbing in the woods, an image of Marley's neck had flashed into his mind and all of a sudden the blood felt wrong and tasted vervain laced. He knew it wasn't as he hadn't fallen to the ground in agony but he had pulled away in disgust and thrown the hiker to the side, undrained, still breathing. Lucky them.

So now he just wouldn't fight it. Why bother denying himself? If he wanted her blood, he would go take it, after all it was in his nature.

It was late and she was probably asleep but that didn't matter. He could easily access her house, he had been invited and her flatmate seemed to like leaving the window open when she slept. Climbing in and walking past Casey's prone figure, he almost stopped and took her blood instead. But it wasnt that simple, it was Marley that had gotten under his skin and until he drank from her properly, like his vampire nature was urging him, he didnt think he would be able to move on. "_Damn heightened emotions_" he thought as he carefully opened Marley's bedroom door.

The covers were pulled up almost to her ears, all that he could see of her was her eyelashes closed in sleep against her skin. Her lips were hidden from view and even though he could hear the slooshing sound of the blood pumping around her body, her neck was tucked out of sight.

Sitting carefully on the edge of the bed, he peeled the blankets down a little, enough to see her bare shoulders in the top she slept in, just enough to reveal the tangle of hair covering her throat. She turned restlessly in sleep, her mouth opening, her breathing escalating.

Damon turned his head slightly to the side as he watched her. She appeared to be dreaming and he wanted inside her head. And so he softly placed his fingers to the side of her face and entered her dreams. The same loop was playing over in her mind; walking up the stairs of the mansion, into his room and then waking up. She was trying to make sense of his compulsion, in his haste to erase what had really happened in his bed, he had left out too many details. Marley was confused about why she could remember nothing that happened in the room.

He was just removing his fingers from her head when an image stopped him and held his hand to her face. Damon was seeing himself through her eyes. In her dreams, Marley was waking up in his bed, looking at him sitting with a drink in his hand, a slight smile on his lips and in his eyes before the curtain fell back down over his emotions, blocking them from her. Then standing up he turned away before looking back at Marley with a look of coldness in his eyes. And Marley reacted to that coldness but not the way he expected. She didn't want to pull away from him. She wanted to know more.

That she thought he was beautiful went without saying. That came with the territory of being a vampire. But she could see past that, to the emotions weaving across his face. Normally he kept a barrier up that very few people were able to cross. Marley was sizing him up, even with all the confusion flitting around in her head and she was wanting to get to the bottom of him, of who Damon was. She could see the coldness in her eyes but also the unveiled looks he had revealed just as she was waking up, before he had set the barrier back in place. It was almost as if she thought of him as a challenge to conquer or a puzzle to unravel.

Damon pulled his hand away and ran it through his hair. This was getting complicated. That she intrigued him for some strange reason was obvious or he wouldn't be here. But that he wanted to stay and find out more about why she intrugued him was bizarre. If she probed too far into his life, she may stumble onto things that pointed towards the truth about what he was. Very dangerous for her. But what did he care if this human was trying to solve the Mystery of Damon? He could silence her with a slice to her throat, a snap of her neck or compulsion at the very least if she got too close.

The problem was, he didn't want to do any of those things. He wanted to keep her alive, at least for now, to spend more time with her, to find out why he even cared what she thought at all.

Placing his hands back to her head and entering her dreams again, he felt her tremble slightly under his touch. In her dream she was walking up the stairs, into his room. Before she could get to the part where she woke up, not remembering what had happened in his room, Damon dream walked. Planting the two of them sitting on his bed, they had a conversation. And in her dream, Marley responded, telling him answers to the things they were talking about. The places around Mystic Falls she liked to go, her friends, the food she liked. He didn't reveal much about himself other than the fact Stefan was his only brother and they were on their own. That was all he was prepared to expose at the moment. Hopefully when she awoke, Marley would now remember the time in his room with something other than confusion, she should remember snippets of conversations they'd now had.

He lifted his hand away from her face and instinctually she pulled the covers around her body and nestled down. Damon stood gazing down at her for a moment, perplexed. He realised he had no urgent desire for her blood. It hadn't crossed his mind since he had seen into her dreams. He wanted to keep her safe, to know more of who she was. It was all very cerebral for this late at night. He needed to leave, to drink it all away with a bottle of whiskey.

As he was leaving her room, he turn to take another look before going home. And it was then he saw the smile on her lips in her sleep and heard the slight murmur of his name "Damon."

He rocketed out the door, back to his house and shut himself in his room, drinking in the sunrise while he thought way too much about what he was going to do from here.

**oooohh, what's he been thinking about? Tune into chapter 8 to find out. For those that have joined me from Marley and Me (when I started this story 10 months ago and had trouble updating it), we are now caught up and new things will be posted asap. And thought? Enjoying it? More of this, less of that? thanks :)**


	8. Happy Trails

**This was a becoming a really long chapter so I split it into two, the rest of the long chapter will come asap as chapter 9. Thanks for reading and of course, I own nothing! (But owning Damon for a day would be bliss!)**

**Chapter 8 – Happy Trails**

Skipping down the stairs the next morning, Marley felt refreshed from her sleep. People often say that sleeping on something helps unjumble things in your head and that's how she felt now. The thoughts that were spinning over in her head had cleared into images of her time with Damon. She could remember bits of the conversations they had in his room, some of the things they had talked about.

The doorbell rang and she opened the door, then stepped back in surprise as she saw Damon leaning on the doorjam, leather jacket fitting to his chest, gorgeous eyes trained on her with a hint of a smile in them. Strolling past her and into the hallway, he turned and greeted her.

"Does your plant have a death wish?" he asked.

Perplexed, Marley just looked at him.

"Your plant" he indicated at the withered little fuschia she kept on the hallway table and pretended to water regularly.

"Oh, yes, well, plants and I don't mix. I have trouble keeping things alive, I don't trust myself with a pet."

"I know what you mean" he smirked back and held out his hand.

"Umm... " she managed to get out of her mouth, looking at the hand in confusion but not taking it.

"You and me, let's get out of here." he said, leaving his hand extended.

Marley tucked her hand into the pockets on her hoodie and hugged it tightly to her body. "I don't mean to be rude but the last time I saw you, we didn't exactly decide to hook up again. And you have this weird habit of turning up at my house out of the blue."

He dropped his hand then and tapped it on the table next to himself. "Yes well, things can change and I don't do plans, I do spontaneous, can you handle that?" As he asked, he cocked his eyebrow at her and tilted his head to the side, crossing his arms across his chest.

Maintaining eye contact, Marley thought quickly. The images that had been spinning in her dreams had ironed out to be memories of Damon in his room, talking about the things he'd done with his life and it had seemed fun and relaxed. No matter how confusing this whole thing seemed, she didn't want to turn down a chance of hanging out with Damon again. If she hadn't been sure about it before, seeing him standing in front of her now cemented it for her. The man was a babe, better than she remembered, better than in her dreams.

The strange thing was the aura he gave off. She didn't feel completely safe with him but she wanted to be with him again, almost as if he was pulling her towards himself.

Meeting his eyes, she nodded and he reached out his hand again, taking hers in his own. A zing went between them and her heartbeat escalated. "Where are we going, do I need to change?" she asked indicating the hoodie and shorts she was wearing.

"Perfect" he replied, taking the opportunity to look her up and down.

Marley felt like she was being slowly undressed with his eyes and resisted the temptation to raise her hand to her flushing cheek.

Damon smiled and said "Remember when we were talking about the things we like to do around Mystic Falls and you mentioned the trail up in the woods by the Falls? We're heading there" he replied, pulling her through the front door.

**Damon's POV**

"_She's smoking hot, even in a hoodie and shorts"_ Damon thought as he followed Marley up the trail. The shorts showed off her long, tanned legs and he smiled at the memory of running his hands over them in his room. All of which she wouldn't remember of course since he had taken that memory away from her. He deliberatley let her go ahead when the path narrowed, under the guise of the gentlemanly "women go first" but actually it was just to take in the figure she cut as she moved.

Even now as he watched her lean her head to the side to duck away from some branches, he got a wiff of her scent and the sight of her neck and he had to stop himself from cutting in front of her and taking from her what he was after. But was it still just blood that he wanted from her?

As he stalked after her, she turned, hair twisting around her face and seeming to read his mood she called back "Come on slow coach". The challenge in her voice gave him pause, but only for a moment and then he was standing well in front of her, hands on his hips and smirk on his lips.

Her mouth fell open. "How did you get in front of me?" she asked, turning her head back to look at the trail behind her and then back to where Damon was now leaning against a tree.

"I'm quicker than you might think" he replied with a grin.

"I can see that" Marley snipped back, walking past him to take the lead again. Looking back to make sure he was following her, she continued "I'm going to get to the bottom of what's going on you know."

"What do you mean what's going on?" he asked, feigning innocence.

"The strange things that have been happening since I met you. The reason you turn up unannounced and just assume I'm going to drop everything and come with you."

"But I knew you would" he replied arrogantly.

"Hmmmm you seem to know me better than you should considering we've only met a few times. You have to admit you're kind of stalkishly strange."

"And sexy and different and you want to know what's going to happen next" he whispered into her ear, suddenly walking right next to her. Her body reacted with a shiver as the heat from his body seemed to attach itself to her skin, warming all the way through her limbs.

Marley blushed as she thought that indeed and unfortunately all that Damon said was true. She did find him incredibly sexy and he was different to any guys she had met. It was like he could get into her head and that was something no guy had ever done before.

Turning to look him straight in the eye, she replied "I already know what's going to happen next."

"Oh? And what's that?" he asked, leaning towards her and almost taking her breath away as his lips came closer.

She leaned slowly towards him with a smile at the edge of her lips. Just when they were close enough you could only slide a sheet of paper between them and Damon could feel the heat coming from her skin, she breathed a quiet "this!" then pushing Damon backwards and setting him off balance a little, she took off running, heading to the top of the trail.

"Little minx" he thought with a smirk, walking slowly after her rapidly dissapearing figure and listening to her laughter fade into the distance.

Grinning, hair streaming out behind her as she ran to the top, Marley flopped down on the crest of the hill, cheeks red from the exertion, chest heaving under her top. Damon advanced slowly, enjoying the spectacle of Marley, the world spread out around her, the backdrop of the trees and mountains in the distance. The carefree way she sprawled on the ground and laughed up at him as he approached made him take a moment to pause. He did crave her, but not her blood although that would be a definite bonus. What he craved was her time, just hanging out and being 'normal'. "Well, that and her body" he thought, remembering the hills and valleys he had explored.

He wanted to drop down next to her, for it to be like it had been with Katherine all those decades ago. At the thought of Katherine, a cloud fell over him and his face became hard.

"_But she's not Katherine"_ he brooded silently, looking down at her. _"Katherine chose Stefan, I was always going to be her second best. And now Stefan has Elena as well."_

Marley was lying on her side, hands shading her eyes from the sun. "Are you going to stand there and mope all day?" she asked, moving her hands for a moment to look up at him.

Damon slowly sank down next to her, rolling onto his side and propping his head up to look at her. The sun was falling across her hair, turning the blonde into a white lake of ice against the grass.

**Marley POV**

The sun was shining straight on her face so Marley was peeking out from where her arms covered her eyes when she noticed Damon's face turn hard. _"Why does he always spin 180 degrees?"_ she wondered. _"One minute he seems to be relaxed and we're having a good time and the next he is shooting daggers from cold, dead eyes. Is it something I say or do?"_

"Are you going to stand there and mope all day?" she asked. Damon raised his eyebrows then responded by dropped gracefully down to the ground next to her, his body mirroring her own.

"You're a bossy one, aren't you?" he asked.

"So I've been told but especially when the person I'm with seems to like spending time with me one minute and then the next they look like they want to kill me."

Damon looked up sharply, meeting her eyes briefly before looking away with a half smile on his lips. "Is that what I've been doing?" he asked.

"Well yes, sometimes, often even" Marley replied with a sigh.

He didn't reply, just continued to look away and Marley watched him, openly admiring his features. Adonis sprang to mind, he seemed to be carved from smooth rock and her fingertips itched to touch him so she reached out and brushed his cheek. He instantly reacted, reaching out and grabbing her wrist in a tight grasp. He met her eyes and held them, causing her to swallow at the intensity of his gaze. It wasn't passion that she saw there; something else seemed to burn out of them, confusion and something hidden in their azure depths. And then he seemed to realise he was squeezing her arm too tightly and let it go.

She was beginning to feel light headed and so Marley shook her head, trying to break free from the spell he was casting over her. She needed to talk, to change the atmosphere that was building and strange between them.

"Ok so, I have a few questions" Marley said. "What's with the super speedy running, you move so fast? And I've never had a reply when I've asked, but why did you bite my wrist the other day?"

Damon sat up, resting his arms on his knees and looked away. Reaching into his jacket pocket he pulled out a small bottle and opening it, took a swig before closing it up and popping it back into his pocket.

Standing up, he reached down for Marley's hands and hauled her to her feet. They were standing a foot away from each other and Marley could smell the scent of him wafting towards her, intoxicating and heady. She was almost ready to close her eyes and just inhale his scent when he spoke.

"I need to show you something" he said and without a pause he brought his arm up to his face and bit into his wrist, blood cascading down his fingers and dripping onto the ground between them.

**OK, hope you liked the little cliffhanger! Will be a few days until I post the next chapter although it's almost finished. I may manage to finish it faster if I have a review or two?! :P I already know where this story is going but I'd love suggestions, if you want to post them through :)**


	9. Revelation

**Chapter 9 - Revelation**

"_I need to show you something" he said and without a pause he brought his arm up to his face and bit into his wrist, blood cascading down his fingers and dripping onto the ground between them._

Marley gasped and stepped back, eyes flicking quickly between his wrist, the ground and Damon's face. His teeth were tipped in blood and his face looked broken, the smooth skin that she had stroked only a few minutes earlier was now covered in veins that seemed to undulate under the surface.

Her brain was unable to process what was happening and then she gasped again as the torn, raggered edges of the gash at his wrist seemed to knit back together leaving behind only drying blood and no wound. Looking up in confusion she saw that Damon's face was back to smooth again and his tongue was cleaning off the last of the blood from his teeth.

Her mouth hung open as her brain switched on and started firing questions at her. What the hell is going on? How did his arm heal? Why did he bite into his arm in the first place? What was happening to his face? And even though she felt sick at the sight of the blood, why was she not afraid?

"Yeah, so that might explain a few things" Damon stated, crossing his arms and watching Marley's reaction.

"Explain a few things? What part of what you just did answers any questions for me? It only raises more! That was... I don't even know what that was!" Marley stuttered out.

Damon took a step towards her causing her to step back again. He was before her in a blink of an eye. "I told you not to fear me" he said looking into her eyes, his pupils growing big and then shrinking again.

"I'm not afraid of you but blood grosses me out. And I have no idea of what just happened! Care to enlighten me?" she asked, meeting his eyes with a strength he didn't realise she had.

Damon chuckled. "Freaked out by blood huh? Not the ideal companion for a vampire."

Marley's eyes grew large and everything seemed to click into place. Biting her wrist, the ability to move quickly, the body and looks of a Greek god. All she needed to see now were some sparkles on his skin and she'd feel like she was in some kind of popular teen movie. But it was all very real and in front of her and she wasn't afraid. Damon had told her not to be so she wasn't. But a vampire? She only knew what she'd read in English class or watched on TV, Damon didn't seem to match up with any of that.

While all this was ticking over in her head, Damon just stood there and watched her, no emotion crossing his face. Marley placed her hands on her hips and stared back at him. "So, are you going to bite me again?" she asked, feeling strangely calm as the words left her mouth.

"Probably" he replied. "I want to. I have a supply of blood at home, Saint Stefan doesn't like me to bring home a live source but I do prefer it straight from the vein when I can get it."

"Will it kill me, you biting me and drawing my blood?"

"It doesn't have to. Not all vampires can control their thirst but I can stop, if that's what I choose to do. I don't always choose to." He took a step towards her again.

Standing her ground, Marley watched him as he drew closer. "Do you want my blood now?"

"I always want blood, it goes with the territory. As to wanting your blood, now, yes" he stated simply.

"Can you take it without hurting me?"

"Why, did it hurt the other night when I took it from your wrist?"

"Actually, no it didn't, it was strangely..." and she faltered, flustered.

He smirked at her, watching her growing discomfort. He knew what she was thinking, remembering how it had felt. He could drink blood and inflict pain or he could make it something bordering on pleasure. The longer you drank, the more intense it became either way. The other night he had taken only a little blood from her and done so in such a way that it wouldn't hurt her. He had felt her begin to stir as he did so and stopped. It would be interesting to see how she would react if he took more from her than before.

Her cheeks had flushed slightly pink at the memories and he reached out and stroked her cheek, lingering for a moment. "I'd rather you offered it willingly though, it's better for both of us."

She held out her wrist and looked him straight in the eye. "I trust you not to hurt me."

He was momentarily stunned. She was offering herself up to him to feed on but not only that, she was offering her trust. Not something given lightly, not something he took for granted.

Gently taking her wrist and placing it back at her side, he stepped closer bringing them inches from each other. Reaching for her neck, he traced it with his finger before circling up to her lips. Running his thumb gently along her mouth, he smiled as it trembled lightly under his touch.  
"I'd rather try this instead" he replied.

Replacing his thumb with his mouth, he slid his lips over hers, closing his eyes and feeling the sensations that began to slowly ripple through his body. There was something intoxicating about her scent; the blood and vanilla was a heady mix.

Her chest rose and fell quickly as he pulled away and he moved her hair away from neck, kissing the places it had rested and then slowly he sunk his teeth into her skin. She shuddered briefly as he broke through and he clutched her to him both in order to support her weight in case she fell and to feel her body against his. After a moment, she relaxed into his hold, throwing her head back a little to expose even more of her throat. His own body responded, revelling in the feelings flowing through her blood, connecting the two of them. He could've kept going, drinking until he had his fill and felt satiated but usually that meant leaving a dead body after he was done.

Damon stilled himself from taking anymore blood, retracting his teeth and enjoying the pout that flitted across her features as he stood her back onto her feet, making sure she was steady before letting her go.

"They say there is a fine line between pleasure and pain. I can inflict both as I choose. I am fully capable of giving so much more of both" he said, dabbing his mouth with a handkerchief.

Marley felt her head spin a few times from the loss of blood and the giddy feeling of being close to Damon. She put her hand up to her neck, smears of blood were on the tips of her fingers when she pulled it away. "Ok. Was that a warning?"

"Only the truth Marley, I'm not the good guy. I could snap your neck easily, drain you of all of your blood and take pleasure in doing it."

"And yet you haven't" she replied, "Is it only a matter of time?"

"I don't know" Damon said angrily. "I honestly don't know."

"Ok" she answered.

"Ok? It's not ok. You're in danger from me."

"I'm not scared of you though."

"I can make you say, do or feel anything I want you to. I told you not to fear me."

"Ok."

"Why do you keep saying ok?!" he asked, grabbing her arms again. He took her fingers and licked the tips of them clean from blood. "Is that ok? Is that not something to avoid?"

She shivered from his touch, her fingers tingling where his tongue had been. "Umm... I can't exactly say I want to avoid that, or you for that matter. You... do... something to me."

He stepped back, dropping her arm and putting distance between them which felt like a chasm to Marley.

"I should just stop this now. I'm a vampire, you're a human, it just doesn't end well. No matter what Stefan and his Katherine Take 2 think, it won't end well for them either. But..." and he paused. He looked her in the eye, curiousity and confusion written there. "But I don't think I will just yet." Biting back into his wrist again, he placed his arm to Marley's lips. She cringed back from it, replused by the wet, red substance. "Drink a little, you will heal faster."

She didn't have a choice, his eyes spoke to hers and she obeyed. She sipped quickly, gagging slightly at the taste before wiping her lips clean. Closing her eyes against the slight wave of nausea, she gasped as Damon pulled her into his arms, lifting her up and then the breeze was strong against her face as he began to run. Before she knew what had happened, they were back at the start of the trail.

TVDTVDTVDTVDTVDTVDTVDTVDTVD

"So, am I to expect another random knock on my door or are you going to call me first next time?" Marley asked as she leaned her back against the car door. Damon had parked outside her house and was standing opening the door for her before she even had her seatbelt off. Whipping out his cellphone, he replied. "Gimme your number, I can text if you don't want anymore surprises?"

"Surprises are good, sometimes I'd like a little notice first though. Like next time, when you take me out to dinner, then I can dressup a little more than this" she answered, indicating her shorts and hoodie which still had leaves and grass on from the trail.

"I happen to think what you have on is just fine" Damon said, stressing the last word. "But dinner we can do. Although our taste in food will obviously differ a lot" he smirked. "What's your number?" he asked and put it into his phone before slotting it into the back pocket of his jeans. Marley watched the movement, her eyes lingering on his pocket for a moment, imagining her own hand sliding inside. Damon's smirk when she looked back up and met his eyes made her wonder if mind reading was also one of his vampire skills.

Taking her hand Damon led her up the steps to her front door, waiting while she unlocked it. Once she had, Marley turned to find him leaning on the doorframe, disturbingly close but with adistance in his eyes.

"I'll call about dinner" he said, pushing himself away from the door and taking her face in his hands. Locking his lips onto hers, he pulled their bodies against each other and slid his hands from her face to her waist. Moving his hands up and down her sides, Marley was lost in the moment and breathless when they broke apart. Then he spun and left without another word.

Marley watched him go, hand placed to her chest, breathing quickly before heading inside and leaning back against the closed door. She was falling for a vampire? When had that ever been a part of her life plan? And what could possibly happen from here? Nothing good she suspected but she was loathe to let this feeling go.

Skipping up the stairs two at a time, she danced into her bedroom, leaped at the bed and buried her head in her pillow while she gave a gleeful shriek. Rolling over and hugging the pillow to her chest, she grinned. Well, at least her life was currently anything but boring!

**Ok, this was the hardest chapter for me to write so far, not sure why. I reached a point where I knew what I wanted to happen but I didn't know how to get there. So not completely happy with it but posted it anyway, hope you liked it.**


	10. Frown Lines

**Chapter 10 – Frown Lines**

Damon POV

Driving away with her taste on his lips, Damon felt strangely cheerful. He wouldn't exactly call it happy, that was an emotion he hadn't felt in a long time and wasn't likely to feel anytime soon. But he could taste her on his tongue and it was a hintness of sweetness that he needed.

Pulling up at the house, he slammed the door shut and strode into the library heading for the bottle of blood he had stored next to the whisky. Stefan and Elena glanced up from their cosy cuddle on the sofa before exchanging a "look".

"Well hello Peter Pan and Wendy. Busy saving the world from Tinkerbelle and all things fairy like?" he smirked at them, pouring a glass.

Elena rose from her place on the couch and moved gracefully to stand in front of him. No matter how much he didn't want it to, Katherine flashed into his mind. Not for the first time he wondered why he and Stefan kept putting themselves through this; different girl, different century, same face. But then she spoke and he was reminded she was nothing like Katherine.

"Damon, I'm worried."

"You'll get frown lines on that pretty face of yours" he replied with a sneer gulping blood from his glass.

Her face cringed as she watched him drink but she stayed put. "You seem to be spending a lot of time with Marley these last few days and..."

"I'm having a good time Elena, it's not a crime is it?" he asked, cutting her off.

"We're just worried that when you've finished with her..." Elena trailed off her sentence and looked at Stefan again.

Damon was annoyed. The "we're worried" tandemness of Elena's statement reminded him that Stefan and Elena were a pair, together, something he had wanted with Katherine and which she had thrown in his face. Stefan always seemed to get the girl.

"I dispose of my problems Elena, don't worry, I won't leave a bloody mess for you to clean up."

"It wouldn't be the first time Damon" said Stefan, standing up and moving next to Elena, his gallant protectiveness making Damon all the more annoyed.

"I might not eat her yet" he replied flippantly.

"Damon" Elena said softly, placing her hand on his arm. "You don't need to kill her when you're done with her." She shivered when she said "done" but Damon wasn't focusing on that. His attention was hooked on the small hand, warm against his skin. He looked up at Katherine's face but saw concerned, doe brown eyes instead. He stared at her for a moment, thinking he could look at her all day but then he shook her hand off, turning away from them both.

"Don't stress Princess, I've got it covered" he said before stalking out the door and heading up to his room.

"Don't do anything stupid Damon." Stefan's voice floated through the walls and he was tempted to go back and tear shreds off him but he clenched his jaw and slammed his door shut instead.

Annoyed that his momentary cheer had been destroyed by a few minutes with his martyr brother and girlfriend, Damon went to his top drawer and took out the bourbon he kept there. Opening it and drinking directly from the bottle, he felt the warmth flood down his throat and his jaw begin to unclench.

Flopping onto his bed, he stretched out, bottle in hand. _"Women, always the source of my problems"_ he thought, taking another swig. Only an hour earlier he had been with Marley but now it was Elena's eyes he saw when he closed his own.

"_Damn it, why do I let them distract me? If I want to see Marley then I will! And if I finish and dispose of her, then it's my choice, my nature. Not all of us deny it and do the bunny thing instead."_

But an uncomfortable feeling was settling in his stomach, what was it? Regret? Remorse? He didn't like what it was doing to him, making him question his feelings, something he never liked to think about. Surely this was all more trouble than it was worth. He was starting to get soft, where had his hard edge gone? He had worked hard over the decades to hone that to a fine art. Maybe it was time to end it with Marley or end Marley, he wasn't sure which.

Getting up from his bed, he put the bottle back and stalked down the stairs, brushing past Stefan and Elena on the way. Ignoring the looks, he went out the front door, into his car and drove away in a cloud of dust and screeching tyres.

**Short chapter but I already know where it's going, any ideas what will happen from here? Any thoughts? All quiet on the reviews front but I'll finish it anyway, 3 or 4 chapters to go :) the end is almost written, hopefully you'll stick with it until the end.**


	11. The thrill of the dance

Chapter 11 – The thrill of the dance

Marley POV

Stretching out her muscles, Marley prepared her body for a warm up. The dance studio was quiet, Jackie had given her a key years ago and she would stay until she was spent, locking up as she left for the night. She needed to not think, her brain was absorbed in Damon, vampires and crazy images were constantly flicking through her head since he had dropped her at home earlier that afternoon.

Now though, she walked over to the stereo, plugged in her iPod and flicked on the track she wanted. Tying her long hair up into a loose bun, she listened as slow music filled the room and she began the routine, calm flooding her body and her limbs responding to the melody as memory took over and she forgot everything that was happening around her.

Once her body was warmed up, she launched into the pieces she was currently working on, taking her body past what she ever thought she could and before she knew it, 20 more minutes had passed and she was covered in a glistening layer of persperation.

Reaching down she grabbed a towel and her drink bottle, taking a long drink. Looking at herself in the mirror, she glanced movement out of the corner of her eye, gasped and spun around as Damon appeared like a whisper in front of her.

He took in her frazzled expression and lack of speech before cracking a smirk. "Surprised?"

"Well, yeah!" Marley replied with a smile, attempting to wipe off as much sweat from her body as she could. She didn't think she was going to be seeing him again so soon so dripping with sweat was not her ideal reunion! "What are you doing here?"

His eyes drifted slowly down the length of Marley's body and up again. Her leggings and crop dance top were stuck to her body and she felt the full effect of his eyes as they lingered on the curves around her hips and chest. "boobs and ass boy hmmm?" she thought to herself.

"So ummm, how long have you been here?" Marley managed to ask.

"I caught the last fifteen minutes of your show" he grinned. "You are good, seriously good to watch" he finished, appreciation in his voice and eyes.

Marley cleared her throat and looked down. Damon had watched her at her most vulnerable, dancing without hesitation, no one else had seen her dance like that before. Her face flushed and she put a hand up to her cheek.

Reaching out and taking her hand from her face, he entwined his fingers with hers and pressed them to his chest. They were now only inches apart and Marley was hugely conscious of her state of dishevelment.

Damon reached up behind Marley and pulled the hair tie from her messy bun, letting the hair fall round her shoulders. He ran his hands through it slightly, letting it settle around her face. Self-consciously, she licked her lips and saw an answering flicker of something dart across his eyes.

Aware that she was standing there in sweaty dance clothes and feeling much too self conscious to really enjoy the time, Marley tried to concentrate on forming words. "Let me rush through a shower and them lets head... somewhere."

"A shower hmmmmmm..." expressive eyebrows were raised at her in reply.

"Yes, a shower, I'll be quick" she added grabbing her clothes and heading backwards towards the changing room.

"Yeah, that's not what I meant" Damon called out after her.

"I'm fully aware of that" she murmured quietly to herself, shutting and locking the door behind her.

Damon POV

Damon wandered around the studio for a few minutes before leaning crossed legged against the door frame while he waited for Marley. He had driven around town for a few hours before ending up at the Grill, drinking bourbon while he decided what he wanted to do. No, not what he wanted to do but what he had to do. He had gone by the house, Casey had helpfully told him where to find Marley and he had gone to the dance studio with the intention of ending it but hadn't expected the floor show he'd watched. Definitely an added bonus.

With a sigh, he touched the necklace inside his pocket and then turned as he heard Marley close the bathroom door. Her damp hair was loose around her face, hiding some of her features. Damon was quite distracted by the fresh scent wafting from her skin and the eyes that peered out from a sea of hair.

He had been thinking he would take her out to dinner like they'd talked about but maybe it wasn't such a good idea. Maybe he should just go ahead and end it now. But then he saw the cream of her skin at her shoulder highlighted by the black lace strap of her bra and he was suddenly very, very distracted.

"_One more night couldn't hurt"_ he thought. "_In fact, I like to leave them satisfied, perhaps this will be a fitting end to our...whatever this has been."_

Moving the strap to the side he brushed a kiss along the soft skin, before moving along to her throat. He heard her breathing hitch and become quicker.

"Dinner?" he asked against her neck.

"If you're thirsty, go ahead" she answered breathlessly.

"As enticing as that sounds I was meaning, you and me, out for food, together." Damon kissed his way along her jaw, teeth grazing near the pulsing of her blood as he fought against his nature to stay in control.

"I'm not that hungry" Marley said, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"Strangely enough, neither am I" he replied, taking her face in his hands and pressing his lips to hers. There was an almost desperate way their lips came together, exploring and passionate. Damon wrapped his arms around her body and then she felt the floor of the studio beneath her back as he lowered her down. Making short work of removing both their clothes, Damon looked down at her, trusting and ready and hoped she wouldn't regret it afterwards.

The sweetness of her eyes closing as they came together was a picture seared into his memory. He felt his teeth drop down and broke the skin at her neck, causing a slight gasp then sigh to settle on her lips. He smiled as he drew her blood and they both moved in a dance that had been around since the beginning of time. And then his mind disconnected completely and they were both carried away on waves of passion.

Marley's POV

When her brain could think again, "wow" screamed through her head. Opening her eyes, she saw Damon, hair in all directions, looking back at her, extremely pleased with himself. He was propped up on his elbow, jacket draped over them both and he reached out, touching her hair before dropping his hand back down.

She noticed the uncomfortable, hard floor beneath her back, something that hadn't registered when they had been...busy. Marley made an attempt to sit up but felt her head swim a little.

"I fed a little so you may need some time to rest" Damon said, touching the spot on her neck that he had used to feed before.

She gave him a shy smile. "I'm not complaining."

"They usually don't" he replied standing up and she watched as his clothes seemed to attach themselves to his body. Then she felt him wrap her quickly back into her clothes before sitting himself down onto the floor next to her.

"Marley, I have something for you" he said, reaching into the back pocket of his jeans and pulling out a pouch.

She felt her eyes grow big, the name of a local Jewellery Store written on the soft velvet outside of the bag. _"He had bought her some jewellery? But they had only just met, what did this mean?"_

Damon's POV

He couldn't wait any longer. Seeing her lying on the floor, satiated from them time together, weak from loss of blood, smiling as their eyes met, he had to stop it now.

Dressing them both at vampire speed, he pulled the necklace out from his pocket. Her eyes grew large as she noted the name on the bag and he opened it for her, taking out the necklace.

"Stefan gave one similar to Elena, she wears it all the time to keep her safe. I want you to do the same."

"I don't understand, how can a necklace keep me safe?"

"I can make you do what I want, you know I have told you not to fear me. I could make you do so much more, all vampires can. And there are more of us out there than you may think. Inside is a herb called vervain, toxic to vampires and it prevents us from being able to compel you. When you wear it you will be safe from me."

"I'm not worried about my safety around you" she replied, touching his hand.

He pulled it back sharply, frowning when he saw the wounded look hit her eyes. Stretching his hand to place it carefully over hers, he spoke again. "I am dangerous. You are human and fragile, it's possible I could lose control and hurt you. And my life is complicated, this is a gift from me. That and the fact I am leaving."

"What do you mean leaving? Are you going on a trip?"

"No, I mean, I am leaving this, us. I need to stop now and I need to fix it." Looking in her eyes, Damon saw them lock with his and spoke clearly. "After I walk away, you won't know me anymore. You won't remember me if you see me or hear my name. The necklace was something you picked up at a sale and you'll wear it always. Put it on once I disappear from here. And have a safe and happy life Marley. I won't trouble you again."

"I don't understand" Marley said, lips trembling a little, confusion on her face. "We have spent the last few days together not to mention tonight. Did it mean nothing?"

"Unfortunately it did mean something and that's why I have to stop it before it goes too far" answered Damon angrily. He was angry with himself for getting involved but more so that he was responsible for making Marley cry. "Humans and vampires don't mix, it would only be a matter of time before you were killed. You need to live. I can do that small thing for you."

He placed the necklace into her hand and she turned it over in hers before looking back at him.

"I, I don't want to say goodbye."

His face softened and he lowered his voice. "Goodbyes are always overrated. We don't even need to say them. I know you won't remember me when I'm gone, all I can give you is the necklace and you won't even know it was from me. But I will remember us, even if it was just a brief interlude."

Taking her by the hand, he helped her to her feet. Brushing her lips quickly again with his he turned and all that was left in the studio was the breeze his feet had made, ruffling papers on the desk and leaving behind a void Marley wasn't even aware of.

Marley's POV

Feeling the weight of the necklace in her hand, Marley put it on. "I wonder why that was even off? I must've taken it off while I showered" she reasoned, running her hands through her damp hair. Gathering her dance gear, she headed out to her car and drove home to another boring night in.

She didn't notice the figure, watching her go, making sure the necklace was on and thinking that an eternity was a long time to spend alone.

**Awww only one chapter to go now :( I will have it up in the next 48 hours, hopefully you're ok with how it ends!**


	12. Epilogue

**Thank you for all the story favourites and follows etc... I love seeing the new user names alerts pop up in my inbox :) And now, the last chapter**

Chapter 12 - Epilogue

Marley POV

Marley woke up feeling awful. She was exhausted, she felt like she had been partying all night but she was pretty sure all she had been doing was sleeping. Maybe Casey and her latest boyfriend had been keeping her awake with late night antics but she didn't remember. Casey and Seth had gotten together about 8 weeks ago, around the same time Emma had hooked Jack at the party they'd both been at. Of course, Marley had gone home early and alone from that party, "Apparently I am destined to be a spinster" she thought with a sigh.

Standing up and taking a few steps towards the bathroom, she touched her head and groaned. A slight temperature, just what she needed. When she headed down to the kitchen, she was feeling even worse.

"Not looking so hot there Marley babe" Casey said from where she was leaning on the kitchen counter.

"Hmmmm, feeling a bit yuck to be honest" she replied, pouring herself a glass of water. The thought of toast or cereal was not appetising at all and the water didn't fix the heady feeling.

"Maybe you should head back to bed, I'll call in sick for you if you like?" Casey said, guiding her back to the staircase.

"Yes please" she muttered, stumbling back up the stairs and collapsing into bed. "I wonder if I ate something bad?"

Damon POV

Damon pulled his Camaro up to the traffic lights and looked out the window as it idled. Driving on this road reminded him of Marley, not something he liked to remember as try as he might, he couldn't quite get her out of his mind. It had been about six months since he'd seen her that night at the dance studio. Six months of craziness including vampire Originals and Elena, always Elena. She was nothing to him and she was his everything. He wasn't 100% sure when he'd fallen in love with Elena, perhaps when he first thought she was Katherine and then saw she was nothing like her at all.

Mulling this over, he rested his arm on the open window, waiting for the light to change to green. Scanning the sidewalk as the world passed by, he did a double take when he thought he caught a glimpse of Marley in the distance. Her hair looked slightly longer, the way she moved looked a little off, perhaps he was mistaken, perhaps Marley had a doppelganger too. And then she turned and he saw it was her, the necklace he had given her dangling from her neck.

She looked happy, radiant even, his compulsion for her to be happy had obviously been effective. Damon felt a fleeting moment of "what if?" before he pushed it from his mind. He had chosen not to end her life because he had actually liked her enough to let her live but Marley was in his past. He needed to focus on the present and keeping Elena alive now that Saint Stefan was ripping his way through the States.

The light turned green and he started to speed away, but not before he saw Marley place a hand protectively onto her stomach and give it a gentle stroke. The swell of her belly as the dress clung to her curves highlighted the evidence in front of him. At that point, Damon switched his mind off, going into vampire mode and driving at lightening speed, crossing the border into Tennessee a few hours later and drinking the night away in a bottle of whiskey. "_Why did the past always come back to haunt you?_" he wondered before the third bottle of bourbon and a blonde, southern belle with a particularly delicious Type AB neck helped him to forget.

Marley POV

Deliciously happy but enormous at almost full term, Marley settled awkwardly on the sofa, mail in hand. Her achy back propped up on cushions, she rested for a moment, eyes closed. Her due date was 2 weeks away, the sooner the better in her opinion. And she couldn't help but remember when she found out. A bout of stomach flu had laid her up for a few days but then continued to linger around.

One day Casey had just come out and asked. "Are you pregnant Marley?"

Marley turned in shock and stared blankly at her. "Ah no, why would you ask that?"

"Well, you are feeling sick a lot at the moment and don't think I haven't noticed your tummy has grown."

"So, I put on weight, I was planning on exercising it off again when I was feeling better."

"I'm not sure you'll start to feel better for a good 6 or 7 months though" Casey had answered.

"It's not possible, I haven't slept with anyone in the last year so I couldn't possibly be pregnant!"

"Are you sure? Remember that guy that came over a few times a while back? Dark hair, gorgeous blue eyes, chiseled features, the body of a god? I can't remember his name but I sure remember him. Maybe you had too much to drink and slept with him but can't recall? Now that would be a shame to forget."

Marley looked sideways at her, raising an eyebrow. "I have no idea who you are talking about. And trust me, my love life has been so far from exciting this year that I would remember someone who sounded like that."

"Couldn't hurt to do a test though" Casey replied, pulling one out of her bag and handing it over to Marley.

"Oh, so you keep them in your handbag now, just in case?"

"Have you had your period in the last month?" Marley counted back and shook her head. "Well, then it's probably time for you to check for sure."

"I can't possibly be pregnant! My period is all over the place, especially when I'm stressed with work and it has been a pretty busy few months. This stomach bug has probably thrown my cycle off too."

Casey rolled her eyes. "Get real Marley and look at the evidence. Morning sickness doesn't just happen in the morning. Take the test and if i'm wrong then so be it. But better you know now rather than in a few months time."

Ten minutes later they were both staring at the positive lines, glaring obviously up from the test. The shock had stunned Marley into silence. Casey had wisely remained quiet too but now she cleared her throat. "Ummm, congratulations?" she said questionly.

Marley only mumbled out a mixture of words before heading for the bathroom to throw up again.

Laughing to herself as she stretched out her sore back, Marley was glad that the shock had worn off and had eventually turned to excitement. Sure, she was only 23 and single and well, not knowing the father of the baby had raised more that one issue but she felt strangely content. And the moment the baby had kicked inside her stomach, she had fallen in love with him. For the scan had shown that it was a little boy.

Lovingly rubbing her belly, she reached for the most interesting parcel of mail. Turning it over she saw it was hand delivered and had no return address on the back. Slipping her finger down the side to open it, she saw a note and tiny wrapped parcel fall out.

Opening the parcel first, she gasped in pleasure at the small, anitque babies rattle hiding inside. Shaking it, she was pleasantly surprised at the gentle tinkle sound it made as bells hit metal. The note was a single sheet of folded paper and opening it she saw a few words in strong, neat writing.

_**If you are still trying to find a name, what about Ethan? **_

Marley stared at the page in surprise. The note wasn't signed and although it was fairly common knowledge that she was having a boy, the fact she was struggling to think of a name wasn't. She had tried so many, some she liked the sound of but not the meaning. Ethan didn't strike her as what her babies name should be but she opened up her laptop and typed it in to find out it's meaning. Loyal. Not bad. She liked the sound of loyal as a name meaning, she had a tight circle of close and loyal friends around her and if her son could have the same, she would be happy. But Ethan wasn't the name for her.

Typing in baby boy names that mean 'loyal' she scrolled down the list, stopping at a few and then moving on. All of a sudden, a name jumped out at her and she smiled. There was something different and comforting about the name, something familiar but it wasn't common. Somehow it just fit.

"Are you my little Damon?" she asked softly, resting her hand on her hard belly.

Her son turned over and stretched, causing her to grimace a little. "Shall I take that as a yes?" she asked with a laugh and taking the rattle, she held it near her belly, shaking it gently as the stretching and moving settled into a quiet peace. She knew it wasn't going to be easy but she had a feeling that having Damon in her life was going to make it all worth while.

THE END

_**Gulp, hope you liked it, had always planned something along those lines, hope it wasn't a disappointment!**_

_**I'd love some reviews if you liked it, was wanting to write some more but not sure there is enough interest out there in my style. **_


	13. Follow up?

What do you think? Should I do a follow up story or leave it as this? Any thoughts?


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